Chad: Civil Registration and Vital Statistics

Mr Morbe is the Liaison Officer of the Global Financing Facility in Chad. Trained as a health economist, he started his career at the Ministry of Planning and Cooperation in Burkina Faso and at the United Nations Program for Development. For the next 20 years, Morbe honed his expertise working at country and regional levels at the World Health Organization in Africa.

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 Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Chad

In 2019, the government of Chad joined the Global Financing Facility to address high maternal and infant mortality rates  of 860 deaths per 100,000 live births and 72 deaths per 1,000 live births respectively (DHS-MICS, 2014-2015). According to the 2019 MICS, the infant mortality rate stands at 79 deaths per 1,000, live births which indicates that child health is deteriorating in Chad.

To focus efforts and available resources on national  maternal, newborn, child, adolescent health and nutrition priorities, the government of Chad – with the support of its technical and financial partners – developed an investment case. Technically validated in December 2021, this investment case will be implemented upon the completion of the government’s political validation process.

Current situation: Vital statistics in Chad

 One of the priorities outlined in Chad’s investment case is the improvement of the civil registration and vital statistics systems (CRVS).

By definition, civil registration and vital statistics refer to the recognition and recording of important life events, including birth, marriage, divorce and death. A functional CRVS system entails the continuous and compulsory registration of these events by a government civil servant. This ensuing record is permanent and conforms with the institutional, technical and legal framework of a country.

In Chad, the civil registration and vital statistics situation is evolving very slowly. While birth registration rates are very low (25.5% in 2019) with significant differences between urban and rural areas, death and marriage registration rates are almost inexistent.

The table below presents birth registration levels in Chad and compares them with those of the Central and West African sub-region.

Although data sources are different, this table shows that birth registration rates in Chad remain quite low (25.5%) compared to those of Central Africa and West Africa (47%).  With regard to Chad, the table highlights a significant difference between birth registration rates recorded in urban areas (50%) and those recorded in rural areas (21.1%) [MICS6, 2019]. This difference notably stems from a general lack of understanding of the usefulness and importance of civil registration, the insufficient number of qualified civil registration agents, and the complexity of policies governing civil registration in Chad.

Budgeted action plan for civil registration and vital statistics in Chad

Prioritized in Chad’s  investment case, CRVS is also an integral of the Health System Performance Strengthening Project (PRPSS) cofinanced by the World Bank and the Global Financing Facility [US$105.6 million (2021-2025)].  Covering eight of the 23 provinces of the country, this project importantly dedicates US$2.4 million to CRVS improvement.

To guide the operationalization of the CRVS component, a budgeted CRVS action plan was developed. This plan focuses on three main elements, namely the

1. Development of a communication strategy to foster a better understanding of the usefulness and importance of CRVS
2. Training of civil servants involved in the civil registration and vital statistics system and upgrading of civil registration centers in line with prevailing standards
3. Provision of operational support for civil registration centers in PRPSS provinces ; and the strengthening of the interoperability of health facilities and civil registration centers.

The action plan has been developed in an inclusive manner, with the active participation of several government ministries (e.g., Ministry of Planning; Ministry of Interior; Ministry of Public Health; Ministry of Women and Child Protection; etc.), civil society and key technical and financial partners (e.g., UNICEF, World Health Organization, UNFPA, UNAIDS). It is also important to note that civil society representatives have chaired technical coordination meetings throughout this process.

Legal, administrative and institutional framework to support CRVS in Chad

To stimulate improvements in civil registration and vital statistics, the government of Chad is establishing and/or adjusting current laws, administrative processes and institutions supporting CRVS. The most important action taken in this regard is the establishment by administrative decree of the Agency for Secured Documents [Agence nationale des titres sécurisés (ANATS)]. Among other things, this agency seeks to support the digitalization of civil status records in Chad.   Today, the digitalization of civil status records is being piloted in a few health districts in close collaboration with UNICEF, UNFPA and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. In addition, plans are being made to organize a forum to help develop and draw consensus for a single form.

While improving civil registration and vital statistics is an important challenge for Chad, political leadership and commitment are manifest and translated into action through a structured and inclusive process. That said, establishing a functional civil registration and vital statistics requires significant financial resources, qualified human resources,  technical expertise, etc. Given its development level (187^th on the Human Development Index in 2019), Chad will not be able to address this challenge on its own. The support and mentorship of its partners will thus be  critical.